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A visual history of the safety pin
Visual History of the Safety Pin Antiquity In Homer’s Odyssey, Antinous, (one of the unscrupulous suitors of Odysseus’ wife Penelope) presents Penelope with a gift of jeweled pins in an attempt to seduce her: Then Antinous said, “Queen Penelope, daughter of Icarius, take as many presents as you please from any one who will give them to you; it is not well to refuse a present; but we will not go about our business nor stir from where we are, till you have married the best man among us whoever he may be.” The others applauded what Antinous had said, and each one sent his servant to bring his present. Antinous’s man returned with a large and lovely dress most exquisitely embroidered.
Walter Hunt (1796-1859) was a mechanic living in New York state, a prolific inventor, a man whose ethics and humility prevented him from profiting greatly from his inventions. Others, notably Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols, dispute this claim, insisting that safety pins were originally incorporated for more practical reasons, for example, to remedy “the arse of your pants falling out”. “For all their low-tech utilitarian nature, safety pins are clearly a successful product design – they have been around since before the first modern Olympics were even a glint in Baron de Coubertin’s eye.”
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